While he may not be the next big NBA player, the Santa Cruz student beamed with his vibrant blue glasses as he stood next to Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush to get the forward's autograph.

Rush surprised the youngsters with a visit Wednesday to Kaiser Permanente Arena, home of the D-League Santa Cruz Warriors. The weeklong camp, with 110 campers in attendance, was hosted by the Golden State Warriors. The camp concludes Friday.

When Rush first entered the arena, the campers turned their heads to watch the tattooed 6-foot-6-inch forward walk onto the court. He grabbed the net hanging from the basket with ease and looked out on the anxious crowd.

"I've come today to tell y'all just put in the hard work," said Rush, 27.

A Warrior since 2011, Rush described playing for the University of Kansas from 2005 to 2008, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers from 2008-2011.

Rush said he tries to speak at one or two basketball camps per summer because he remembers NBA players speaking at camps he attended as a youngster.

"I was in this position before," Rush said. "It was always a good experience."

While not everyone knew who Rush was right off the bat, they soon understood that he was a big deal.

"I was thinking, 'How cool would it be to meet a real basketball player and have his autograph,'" said 8-year-old Cordelia Kaspar.

The jersey-clad campers wiggled their hands high when Rush began answering questions. They grilled him on his scars, family and who's the toughest team to beat.

"I think the [San Antonio] Spurs," Rush said. "They're really hard to beat because of the way they pass and the way they operate."

After questions, the camp gathered for a group photo, followed by a chance for each kid to get an autograph and take a picture with Rush. A line snaked around the court as campers waited patiently.

When Adrian Coulson got to the front of the line, he took off his purple Reebok sneaker and asked Rush to sign it.

"Now I can have these for a couple of years, even if they don't fit," the 11-year-old said. "And it looks good on the purple."